WILD GOOSE TRAIL FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 18-20, 2026

Generous cut-offs, unending trail beauty, rockin' aid station and sweet swag... Join us at Wawayanda State Park in Hewitt, NJ for the Wild Goose! We have distances for everyone so keep on reading to learn more. Please check out the Trail Party Handbook for all of the deets! We are supporting our non-profit partner, Bigger Than The Trail with this Trail Party!

QUICK STATS

RACE FORMAT:

36H, 100M, 100K, 50M, 50K, 13.1M, 10K, Kids 1M
3 different trail loops repeated (4.75M, 6M, 7.75M)

CUTOFFS:

36 hours for the 100M, 100K, and 50M
12 hours for the 50K
10 hours for the 13.1M and 10K

ELEVATION/TERRAIN: Great mix of hard packed wide trails and technical singletracks with rocks and roots

100M ~ 11,239 ft elevation gain
100K ~ 6,476 ft elevation gain
50M ~ 5,272 ft elevation gain
50K ~ 3,238 ft elevation gain
13.1M ~ 1,414 ft elevation gain
10K ~ 600 ft elevation gain

CAPACITY: Capped at 500 participants across all events

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: No public transit options available. Email us and we can help coordinate a carpool!

The Wild Goose is a Trail Party that is designed for both the Newbies and the Veterans. With generous cutoff times and an average of around 112 feet of elevation gain per mile for each of the events, this is a GREAT event for the Newbies. Veterans looking for a runnable course will have a lot of fun at the Wild Goose. Although Wawayanda State Park is located in the mountains of the northern New Jersey Highlands, the trails that we are using are runnable and most definitely hiker-friendly. We have plenty of race options to choose from and the schedule staggers the start times on Saturday and Sunday so that there will be runners/hikers out on the course for the entire duration of the event. We only have one cut-off for the 100M and that’s for the final loop. We don’t want anyone to feel like they are “chasing cutoffs”. This will also encourage runners/hikers to stay out there longer and get that FINISH. We have festival programming on Friday, several races running on Saturday and Sunday, camping at the beach, plus local vendors to make this a true Trail Festival! Please check out the Trail Party Handbook for all of the deets!

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR REGISTRATION:

Swag items, bib & safety pins
Handcrafted Finishers' Medal
Handcrafted buckles for 100K and 100M finishers
Aid Stations with hot food (including vegan and gluten-free!), snacks, water, Skratch, open all 36 hours
EMT from 7am-7pm and Ambulance on-site overnight from 7pm-7am.
Awards for top 3 female, and non-binary and male
Pizza made on-site for all ultramarathon finishers (100M, 100K, 50M, 50K); vegan pizza available
Pre-race panels, meeting and film screening on Friday September 18th
Free camping at the Festival
Professional race photos
Access to all clinics/webinars leading up to the Festival. Check out the clinic line-up HERE!

We are proud to partner with Bigger Than The Trail (BTTT). BTTT is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that is using trail running as a platform to advocate for mental health. BTTT's mission is to enrich the lives of individuals struggling with mental health. Through their fundraising efforts, BTTT cost-free therapy to those in need! Please consider making a donation to BTTT!

The Wild Goose course has a little bit of everything - doublewide trails, rolling singletracks, technical sections with rocks and roots, wood plank boardwalks, and a bit of road. There are rocks and roots. The entire course is not technical, but there are definitely stretches that are tech-y. Here is the feedback we hear from runners who have gone on the course and live in the northeast: if you live in Northern NJ or the Hudson Highlands (NY) area, these trails are not super duper technical. For folks coming from NYC, Long Island, Brooklyn etc these trails are much more technical than city-trails and rail trails. For anyone not used to running in the Jersey Highlands or Hudson Highlands , unless your home turf is on very mountainous terrain, you will likely find these trails to be challenging in spots with the rocks and roots, while runnable in many others with gravel-y trails. There is an average of around 112 ft elevation gain per mile.

TRAIL PARTY LOCATION

The address to the main entrance is 885 Warwick Turnpike, Hewitt, NJ. This is the main entrance on Warwick Turnpike, where the park office is located. Some GPS devices want to drop you in the middle of nowhere on Warwick Turnpike, so we recommend using these GPS coordinates for the Park Office: 41.198038, -74.397315. When you enter the park through the main entrance on Warwick Turnpike, follow signs to Wawayanda Lake/The Beach. It will take about 5 minutes to get there from the entrance on Warwick Turnpike. The Auxiliary Gate is located at 120 Wawayanda Road, Highland Lakes, NJ. If you enter the park through the Auxiliary Entrance, continue straight through the gate and then make your first right, following the signs to Wawayanda Lake/The Beach. The GPS Coordinates for the Auxiliary Gate are: 41.192166, -74.434160 For some folks, entering through the Auxiliary Gate may be more efficient. Regardless of which way is quickest for you, please be sure to take the time to open up the map on your GPS app and zoom in to make sure you are going to either the Auxiliary Gate or the Main Entrance. Please read through our Trail Party Handbook to see detailed driving instructions and maps!

The park charges a $5 parking fee per vehicle. Please have exact change in cash.

Interested in carpooling? Email us!

Like many other race organizations, we do not offer refunds for our events. Please take the time to double-check your calendar before registering for a Trail Party. Please understand that we do not offer refunds under any circumstances.

If you notify us via email (not through social media, text, or phone call) more than 21 days from the date of the Trail Party, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for, minus 15% of the registration fee that you originally paid.
If you sustain an injury less than 21 days from the race date, we will extend a 100% deferral if you come to that race to volunteer. For distances less than 50K, you'll need to volunteer for at least 4 hours and for 50M+ distances, you'll need to volunteer for at least 8 hours to get a 100% deferral.
If the race that you want to drop from is sold-out with an active wait-list and are able to fill your spot: if you notify us via email (not through social media, text or phone call) at least 3 days before the race, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for, minus 15% of the registration fee that you originally paid.
The race credit is the amount that you paid for the race, minus 15% (total credit does not including UltraSignUp fees) so you will need to cover any difference in fees; refunds will not be issued if the deferred event costs less than your race credit. You can only defer one time, so please double-check that you can make the race you're deferring to.

PREGNANCY, ADOPTION, & POSTPARTUM POLICY

Whether planned or unplanned, the beginning or end of a pregnancy requires healing and recovery time. We are committed to supporting you in this regard. If you are experiencing a pregnancy or postpartum healing and recovery, or have adopted a child, we are pleased to offer a deferral of up to three years from the current event. Simply send us an email and we will arrange the deferral for you. This deferral policy includes partners and spouses and is also extended to folks who are going through the IVF process.

COMMUNITY CARE DEFERRAL POLICY

We recognize that the current climate around immigration enforcement, including ICE activity, is creating real fear and barriers to training, travel, and participation. Any registered participant who feels unsafe may request a deferral of their race entry for up to three years from the original race date, no questions asked. For anyone who still wants to participate but is feeling hesitant, our Squatch Together Program offers the option to be paired with another runner or hiker for support before, during, and after race day. Your safety, dignity, and sense of belonging come first.

BANDITS

Any individuals caught banditing a race will be banned from Sassquad events. Banditing means that you are on our race course without registering. Please do not bandit our Trail Parties or any other event!

AID STATION:

The Volunteer Dream Team truly makes the Trail Magic happen at our Aid Stations! Squatch HQ (the Start/Finish at the Lake) - is where the 36 HOUR PARRTTYYY will be! This is the only aid station for the race (no other aid will be on the course). Squatch HQ will be rockin’ from 7am Saturday until 7pm Sunday night! Our Volunteers will be ready to assist you throughout the event. We work hard to have a variety of nutrition and hydration available at our events. We include many gluten-free and vegan options (upon request, we have separate cookware available to make hot vegan options on our stove). Check out the menu items in the Trail Party Handbook. If you don’t see something that you think would make a great addition to our aid stations, drop us a note and we’ll see what we can do! We always have a fully stocked first aid kit and AED at Squatch HQ. Our first aid kit includes mentrual products and wipes. We have several private changing tents at Squatch HQ that are available before, during, and after the event. Lastly, we have The Jackalope Tent! This is a quiet space that's is available at most of our Trail Parties. The tent is away from the crowds and loud music. Stop by the Jackalope Tent when you need a break. The Jackalope Tent is a multi-use space that is also available for breastfeeding. Why do we call it the Jackalope Tent? Jackalopes are peaceful cryptids and are also excellent singers (usually tenor).

PACERS:

Any participants who are on the course after sunset can have a pacer with them. Pacers need to pre-register with us (no charge) and wear a pacing bib while on the course. We welcome pacers to help themselves at the aid station but request that Crew bring their own supplies. As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please pre-register your pacer here.

CREW:

All runners/hikers can have a Crew join them at the Trail Party for the duration of the event. Crew access is only available at Squatch HQ. Crew are welcome to set up their own pop-up tents at Squatch HQ in the designated areas. All tents and canopies MUST be staked/weighted down. The park collects a $5 parking fee per vehicle (please have exact change in cash).

Northern NJ is home to a variety of critters. So this is your "nature disclaimer". Yes, there are snakes. Yes, there are Black Bears. Here is what ya need to do if you see a bear during the race (this is from the Dept of Environmental Protection): If you see a bear, make it aware of your presence and use common sense. Never approach the animal; observe it only from a distance. Clapping, talking, singing, or making other noises lets the bear know you are nearby. Remain standing, avoid direct eye contact, back up slowly, and speak in a calm, assertive voice if you encounter a bear at close range. Do not run.... More information on Bear Encounters.

SUBMIT VOLUNTEER HOURS

DONATE IN LIEU OF VOLUNTEERING

All 100 milers and 36 hour participants are required to complete 8 hours of trail work or trail race volunteering..

Volunteering must be completed between September 22, 2025 and September 18, 2026.

Please use this google form to submit your volunteer hours.

What counts as Volunteering?

Trail maintenance or trail building with any trail organization in any state or country. Please include the email/phone number of the organizer/supervisor you volunteered with. This is a great resource to find a group to connect with.
Pick up trash while hiking or trail running.
Trail race volunteering at a trail race. You can do your Volunteer hours at any trail race.
Volunteer with a non-profit running organization that promotes running for kids (like Girls on the Run)

If you are unable to complete the volunteer hours, you can make a donation to our Charity Partner Bigger Than The Trail for $100. You can use this link to make the $100 donation to Bigger Than The Trail if you choose to not complete the volunteer hours.

At Sassquad, we believe the trails are for everyone. We are committed to supporting adaptive athletes through our Trailside Support program.

Support Guides: Guides/Pacers for adaptive athletes are always welcome and race for free. Please register your pacer/guide ahead of time. If you need help finding one, please submit the Accommodation Request Form.
Accommodations: Please submit an Accommodation Request Form at least 3 weeks before race day so our Trailside Support Team can plan accordingly.
Terrain Type: Wild Goose features three distinct loops: Checkered (4.75M), Blue (6.25M), and Pink (7.75M). Terrain ranges from wide, crushed-gravel paths to rolling singletrack with roots, rock slabs, and technical boardwalks/bridges.
Equipment Recommendation:
- All-Terrain Wheelchairs: We do not recommend wheeled equipment for this race as the Blue Loop contains a bridge with a difficult transition, and the Pink Loop features narrow, technical wood plank boardwalks that are not wheelchair compatible.
- Ambulatory Adaptive: All distances are excellent choices. The generous cutoffs (36 hours for the 100M!) make this a low-stress environment for managing pacing or fatigue. Trekking poles are recommended for the singletrack and boardwalk transitions.
Sensory & Support: The Jackalope Tent is a dedicated quiet space away from the main festival hub for anyone needing sensory decompression or a private space for medical needs.
Facilities: The start/finish area at the Wawayanda Lake beach has accessible restroom facilities.